


Time is a River

by Oreocat155338



Series: Birthday Fics for my Siblings [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst?, Gen, I can write more for this next year if you aren't happy with the ending sis, I'm so sorry, M/M, Oops, Percy time travels and tries not to screw things up, The other Olympians are only mentioned, Time Travel, accidental percy/hermes, ambigidous ending, birthday fics for siblings, but he might've, elements of both really, fluff?, she should've said she wanted a happy ending, the Fates are salty tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 11:16:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16407461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oreocat155338/pseuds/Oreocat155338
Summary: "In Einstein's equation, time is a river. It speeds up, meanders, and slows down. The new wrinkle is that it can have whirlpools and fork into two rivers. So, if the river of time can be bent into a pretzel, create whirlpools and fork into two rivers, then time travel cannot be ruled out." -  Michio KakuPercy time travels way further than they meant him to. Now he has to deal with trying to not change things, and figuring out what the hell he's going to do once time catches up.





	Time is a River

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday, Deb! I know you ship Percabeth but also Percy/Hermes wasn't supposed to happen (it's not my fault though). Sorry!

"This isn't what was supposed to happen." Percy deadpanned as he stared at the as-of-yet landscape and his uncle. "Look, Zeus, I know you can't understand me, but I'm here to help. Just... It wasn't supposed to be this early."

  
"Bwah!" The tiny baby said, narrowing its eyes at Percy.

 

***

 

"You're sure this will work?" Zeus asked, looking back and forth between Percy and Metis.

 

"Of course," Percy said. "If it doesn't, then my time distracting Oceanus would've been for nothing." (A total lie, of course. Percy could tell when something was poisoned from his time in Tartarus, but Oceanus didn't have the same ability. He would never have that ability. Still, it was fun to fuck with Oceanus, after all the trouble he'd put Percy's father through.)

 

"Alright." Zeus still looked doubtful, but he trusted them.

 

 

Then he turned and walked out towards Krono's party without looking back.

 

***

 

When Zeus returned to the cave with his five siblings, Percy sat back and listened as they planned.

 

When they insisted that he accompany them into Tartarus, he reluctantly agreed.

 

And as they marched into battle against the Titans, Percy stood back and watched.

 

***

 

"I can't." Percy shook his head as the beginnings of the Olympians stared at him, waiting for his answer. "I have... Something else that I need to do. I'll come back if you need me, but-" He shook his head. "I can't be the King of the gods, I'm not even actually a god! Just immortal!"

 

***

 

The first of the gods to realize that he was from the future was Apollo.

 

"... How long do we have?" He asked quietly when the other gods weren't paying attention to them.

 

"Quite some time." Percy replied, glancing down, "I - we have until Zeus and Posideon break the oath that they and Hades made on the River Styx. We have some time after that, actually, but that's the closest I can say."

 

"Is there anything we can do to avoid that now?" Apollo asked, staring intensely at Percy, just seconds before Artemis walked up to them.

 

 

 

Hours later, when Percy tracked him down to answer, the answer was a simple, "Not yet."

 

***

 

The second to realize was Hermes.

 

It had become something of a tradition of new gods to introduce them to Percy away from the other gods (this never would've happened if Aphrodite hadn't tried to get into his pants in front of the Olympians!!).

 

So Hermes simply stared at him for a few moments, before his hand came up and he lightly ran his fingers down Percy's arm, something indecipherable in his eyes.

 

 

And for a second Percy thought that he'd have to set Hermes straight about-

 

 

"What happened?" Hermes asked quietly. "What happened that we'd have to send you all the way back to the beginning?"

 

Percy's eyes widened before he shook his head.

 

"Everything went to shit." He said. "There was another war with the Titans, and another -" He shook his head. "That hasn't happened yet. Anyways, it's..." He trails off. "I was only supposed to go back a few years but something went wrong."

 

"What are we going to do to change it?" Hermes asked.

 

"Nothing yet," Percy said. "I- I don't want to risk messing up everything even worse."

 

"Talk to the Fates?" Hermes suggested. "They weave the Loom of Fate, maybe they could help?"

 

"I can't find them," Percy replied. "If you can figure out where they are, maybe you could tell me?" Hermes frowned.

 

"What makes you think I can find them if you can't?" He asked.

 

"Because I met you in the future. We were good friends and if anyone can find them, out of all the gods, it's you."

 

***

 

The third and last of the gods to figure out about Percy's time traveling was his own father.

 

"Who were you?" Was the question that he asked, and it took Percy a moment to realize just was Poseidon was asking.

 

"Your son," Percy whispered. "And allegedly the greatest hero in centuries." He held himself straight as tears started to form.

 

"Percy-" Poseidon started, but Percy shook his head, so his father changed track. "How bad does it get?"

 

"Really, really bad," Percy replied. "Like, a titan and two primordials working together to destroy us bad."

 

***

 

"They know that I'm looking for them for you," Hermes said the next time he saw Percy. "So now they're avoiding me too."

 

"You'll find them," Percy replied without hesitation. "I know you will." Hermes gave Percy a lopsided grin - something he'd gotten from spending so much time with Percy, ironically.

 

"I know." He said with a wink. "Still, it's nice to know you have such faith in me." 

 

He winked at Percy before disappearing, and Percy sat down, and after a couple of minutes, He heard another voice.

 

"Do you realize you're smiling?" Poseidon asked, and Percy jerked to his feet, staring at his dad in surprise. "Who put that look on your face?"

 

***

 

"Who are you?" Sea green eyes met their mirror, and Percy allowed a smirk to appear. They were close.

 

"I'm you." Came the reply. "From the future-past. I know, time travel's weird. I can't afford to help you too much - don't wanna fuck up history - but I will be there if you need it."

 

"What?" The twelve-year-old asked, completely bewildered.

 

"Anyways, you've heard that Olympus is closed, it's because someone stole Zeus' Master Bolt. Right now you're the top suspect. I know exactly who took it, but you'll have to figure that out yourself.

 

In the meantime, you've got a quest to prepare for. I'd suggest packing some spare clothes and a bit of food to munch on. You are heading across the country, after all."

 

***

 

"That was you, wasn't it?" Hermes asked from where he was sitting. Percy nodded, and he continued. "Your younger self is just... Adorable. Anyways, I know where you can find the Fates."

 

"Ador- wait, the Fates? Thanks!"

 

***

 

"You cannot interfere." One of the Fates said. 

 

"I am no god!" Percy snapped. "I am not bound by the same laws!"

 

"... True." Another Fate said. "Still, you have changed many things with your mere presence. We've been run ragged trying to fix it!"

 

"I've tried to keep things from changing too much!" Percy replied. "It's not my fault I wound up going back so far! It was only supposed to be five years, at the most!"

 

"Sisters, I have a solution." The third fate said, and they turned to her, and then to the Loom, before nodding.

 

***

 

"Has anyone seen Percy recently?" Hermes asked. "Because I can't find him anywhere."

 

The god of thieves looked anxious and that alone was enough to set the other two gods who knew about Percy on edge.

 

"I haven't," Apollo said, frowning. "When did you last see him?"

 

"He was going to meet with the Fates. Talk with them about something. But I checked there. They said he left, but they refused to tell me where."

 

"And you checked everywhere?" Poseidon asked.

 

"Everywhere except one place he'd never go again," Hermes said. "And none of us are exactly welcome there. We lose our powers, remember? And I'm not saying my powers are more important than Percy but without them, the most of us are pretty much sitting ducks. We've not done much fighting recently without our powers, after all."

 

"What is this place?" Artemis asked.

 

"Tartarus."


End file.
